Win a date with rugby player, get gift certificate for dinner

The Albany Knickerbockers Rugby Football Club will auction off dates with 10 women players, 15 men and five “Old Boys” (over 35) during a fundraising auction scheduled for 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20, at Revolution Hall in Troy. A variety of restaurants and other businesses — list after the jump — have donated gift certificates that will be awarded to winning bidders. Pure Elements salon in Albany is donating makeovers for female players and Men’s Wearhouse is donating the evening’s attire for men.

Admission is $5. A cash bar will be available. Open to age 21 and older.

Two of the players up for the date auction are above right. More photos here.

The auction will raise funds to help with the expenses of competing with club, which have increased because of The Knicks’ recent upgrade to Women’s Division I status.

“D1 teams are usually only in bigger cities like New York or Boston,” said Caitlin Casey, the club’s director of fundraising. “We’re putting Albany on the map because we’re doing so well.”

Casey said her club’s new level of professionalism requires them to travel farther afield to compete. “Before, our women used to travel to New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maine to compete,” she said. “Now we’re going to places like Atlanta. Everything is more expensive — the travel, the union dues and equipment. A lot of our players are young professionals and college students, but they’re all dedicated athletes.”

Established in 1973, The Knicks are governed by the New England Rugby Union and USA Rugby. Currently, the club is comprised of a Men’s Division II (ages 18- 34), Old Boys (ages 35 and up) and Women’s Division I (age 18 and up). In 2010, the women won the Division II National Championship Title and have since moved up to play competitively in Division I.